I know you may think this is very “bandwagon-ish” to be writing about New Year’s Eve and New Year at this very moment. Hear me out for a bit. Let me humor you at least.
A new year is an exciting dawn to welcome, a very special one – this is somewhat an entrance to a different dimension where time and space has been placed on reset. Fear will overcome you if and only if, you see the past year as “yet another year that went by.” If you are like me, who gets very excited to welcome another year of learning, of making mistakes, of reinventing one’s self, of being grateful and of course, another chance to live life to the fullest…then carry on and read along.
Take a shower each morning
Yes, I said it. A routine for most of us right? Well, I have this philosophy on people that even if something is common knowledge – it still needs to be reemphasized. I am a BIG believer of the magical powers of water. Taking a shower is a ritual that cleanses your body but also your soul. Pick a heavenly scent for your bath products to invigorate your day. Mint is a favorite of mine for the fresh, tingly, and ‘wake me up’ feeling.
Check yourself. Before starting this challenge, these are the two rules: 1) Document your experience and 2) You must complete each part for seven consecutive days, no skipping. Here we go, try starting your day not showering in the morning for seven days (shower in the evenings instead). After that time, make a habit of taking a shower each morning before you start your day for another seven consecutive days. Reflect on your observations and take note of the changes.
For most people that work remotely and stays at home to accomplish work-related tasks, this habit is life changing. Forget the “I can work in my jammies” mantra. Who are we kidding? We show up to the world the way we want to be treated.
Show up to the world the way you want to be treated
I have heard myself and other people say, “if only I can change this…if only I …” the list goes on and you know how these sentences have been uttered. During the holidays, I re-watched the movie A Knight’s Tale, the takeaway is about changing your stars. Any employment or career expert will tell you that you must dress for success whether you are in for an interview or at work when your goal is a big promotion. So, tell me now why we regress to wearing anything less than a professional attire when we work at home?
You see, as humans, we are indeed creatures of habit and we compartmentalize everything. Take the cue from the preschool age kids with their dress up station for community helpers. They know that a white lab coat and goggles are for the scientists, sometimes the doctors…the hard hat and yellow vest for the construction workers, the chef’s hat ..yes, you got it..for the chef!
Let’s start putting great effort in the way we look, in the way we present ourselves to the world. I am not saying we have to go crazy and purchase brand name accessories and apparel line because we want to be seen as successful or look like we are ‘rolling in the dough’. Far from it, friend! That is for another discussion. Simply put, you already showered – smelling fresh and clean, then rightfully so to wear clean, neat, and professional ensemble …shine your shoes…trim your fingernails… comb your hair…yeah, the basics of good grooming and get ready to take on that corner office.
Start documenting
Following the basic tenets of a scientific experiment, we need to start documenting or else we will not be able to measure how far we have reached in our journey. As the saying goes, “if you don’t measure it, it will not grow”. It could be simply keeping a calendar/planner, a journal, apps such as Commit to 3 or the Five Minute Journal.
If we do not start examining our attitudes and our behaviors, how can we say that we need to tweak something or notice that we keep doing the things that we should not be doing. I am not saying this process needs to be done daily. I already could hear you complaining about how busy your life is! You see, happiness and success in life do not just appear magically on your doorstep. It takes hard work, consistency and a whole lot of effort to keep doing the things that will create joy and abundance in your life.
By creating a pocket in your day to write down what needs to be done even for just three things that could help change your stars and writing down the areas of your life that you are grateful for, I guarantee that the universe will conspire with you and make things happen.
Take that vacation already and eat the cake!
Most of us will say, “When I retire, I will travel more.” Retirement is a state of mind. Why don’t we have mini-retirements by taking meaningful vacations by ourselves, with our families, with our friends or with anyone who has the same values and travel goals. Did I hear you say, “Well, money is the issue.” I disagree. Again, go back to what I said, if you have documented past events, you can easily tell what happened to your money. Did you buy that expensive thing a few months ago and now collecting dust in your closet? Did you just purchase something that is now causing you buyer’s remorse? If we change our mindset, we are able to prioritize effectively and efficiently. Most times, we let society dictate our being and we forget about honoring our own values.
Traveling is such a wonderful, life altering moment. Quite literally, you can pretend to be someone like that character from one of your favorite novels! Talk about an instant 360 degree change. Did you just feel the rush? A big smile on your face? The experience we get from seeing a new place, experiencing a different culture, tasting new flavors, and making meaningful personal connections along the way transcend the price tag you are most fearful of.
That is why as a travel company owner, we do not sell just any trip package, cruise, airfare or tickets. Our company is highly selective in the services we offer and the vendors we work with. In fact, we do not offer cruises because I personally have not gone to one except for our Nile River Cruise from Aswan to Luxor in Egypt. I understand the investment people make when they decide to travel. I travel for work and leisure, I watch out for my buying decisions and I crunch numbers. So, my advice is this, consider mindful traveling, set a goal why you are doing it then follow your heart. I am sure you will figure out how to finance the trip.
Apply Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Habits that I must confess without shame nor guilt, I do not watch TV, read the newspapers nor listen to any news, and I do not follow any sports team. I also recently unfollowed many of the self- professed gurus from the internet space and kept them away from my email inbox.
I removed myself from the outside chatter that has been getting louder and louder with the advances of technology. I am still on social media anyway, I get the snippets of things I wish to get a glimpse on and I can filter as needed.
Within the last five years, my biggest learning is truly believing in myself…now I am NOT being narcissistic, self-contained, or self-centered here. My point is, we often doubt ourselves and we compare our achievements with other people. Because we think they did better, they did it bigger, they are more successful…on and on..and on. But really, do WE know what happens beyond the curtains? NO.
Get a hold of your self and trust that wherever you may be in your life right now, this is the only place you need to be. If you wish to inch forward and upward, that could only happen through the Theory of Relativity, E = mc2
You see, I am a nerd after all and as I embrace this fact, I could not help myself and insert hard science in the mix. An interesting result of the equation by Einstein above is that energy (E) and mass (M) are related (C= constant speed of light). Any change in an object’s energy is also accompanied by a change in mass. A simple explanation is provided by www.duckster.com:
One example of relativity is to imagine two people on a train playing ping-pong. The train is traveling at around 30 m/s north. When the ball is hit back and forth between the two players, the ball appears to the players to move north at a speed of around 2 m/s and then south at the speed of 2 m/s.
Now imagine someone standing beside the railroad tracks watching the ping-pong game. When the ball is traveling north it will appear to travel at 32 m/s (30 m/s plus 2 m/s). When the ball is hit in the other direction, it still appears to travel north, but at a speed of 28 m/s (30 m/s minus the 2 m/s). To the observer by the side of the train, the ball always appears to be traveling north.
The result is that the speed of the ball depends on the “relative” position of the observer. It will be different for the people on the train than for the person on the side of the railroad tracks.
To drive the conclusion for our practical application, what we perceive is relative to our position as the observer. Therefore, when we look at other people’s work, performance, belongings, etc, where we stand is a crucial factor. So, know that we are independent of each other. We can take inspiration from others and fuel the energy for our own desire for happiness and success. Add more mass in our life by enriching ourselves of what truly matters by listening to our inner voice and acting on our intuition. Adjust our speed and direction as dictated by our own journey and goals.
The future waits for no one, it is up to us to carve out what we want to take from life’s journey, and to share with others who may need the extra help to find their own path.